Greencastle's Austin Stouffer wins table tennis title

Austin Stouffer, a senior at Greencastle-Antrim High School, recently won the Under-2050 Rating Event during the Maryland Table Tennis Center's Spring Open Championship.

Entered as the top seed in round-robin play, Stouffer convincingly defeated his first three opponents in straight sets, 3-0, advancing into single elimination.

In the semifinal, Stouffer edged his opponent 3-2, thus moving on to the championship for a rematch with Alan Pruce, who Stouffer had beaten earlier in round-robin play.

A back-and-forth battle ensued, with Stouffer and Pruce exchanging points through the first four sets, leaving the match tied 2-2 to force a winner-take-all stanza.

With Stouffer trailing 10-8 in the final set, Pruce called a timeout, giving Stouffer the opportunity to regroup. From here, Stouffer recorded four consecutive points, capping his decisive rally en route to a 12-10 set victory and the event's title.

Aside from the championship trophy, Stouffer also won an $80 cash prize.

"Austin had a difficult challenge to reach the final," Stouffer's coach Jef Savage said. "There were several good players in the later stages and he pulled out all the stops to become the champion."

Stouffer, who has been playing table tennis for four-and-a-half years, practices his craft with Savage at The Table Tennis Centre in Mercersburg and competes in MDTTC leagues. Stouffer plans to attend Lindenwood University in the fall, where scholarships are offered for his sport.